How Much Does Monthly Bookkeeping Cost? (A Straight-Talk Guide for Service Businesses)
By Daniel — clear numbers, calm mind.
Let’s start with the honest answer.
Most bookkeeping and accounting firms hide their prices. They worry about being shopped on price. They worry competitors will copy them. I get it.
But you deserve clarity.
Our mission is simple: make your numbers crystal-clear so you can make smart, fast decisions. That starts with clear pricing.
Our bookkeeping starts at $599/month.
From there, the price goes up based on complexity (I’ll break that down in plain English below). No tricks. No “call for quote.” Just the truth. You can also jump to our no obligation free price estimator tool – HERE
Why this matters (and what happens when it’s vague)
When prices are fuzzy, you feel stuck. You delay decisions. You wonder, “Is this too much? What am I actually getting?” Meanwhile, your books fall behind, tax time gets scary, and growth stalls.
I’ve been there. Early in my own previous business experience (pre-Amber), I cheaped out on financial help. I didn’t know my numbers. I had stress, surprise bills, and nights I stared at the ceiling, wondering if payroll would clear. It cost me time, money, and peace. That’s why I’m so direct today.
Good numbers = calm, confident decisions.
Bad numbers = expensive guesswork, a tough journey.
Value 101: The steakhouse vs. fast food test
Think about dinner:
- Fast option: You can buy a $8 “steak” fast food sandwich. It’s processed. It fills your stomach. But it’s not quality.
- High-end option: You can book a nice steakhouse. Fresh food. Skilled cooks. Thoughtful service. It costs more, but you get a real experience and real value.
Bookkeeping is the same. You can buy cheap work that just “fills the gap,” or you can invest in a team that gives you accurate, timely, decision-ready numbers—plus insights that pay you back.
Unreasonable hospitality (hat tip to Will Guidara) isn’t only for restaurants. In finance, it looks like clean books, proactive help, and a partner who sweats the details you never see.
Fractional help beats full-time cost (for most small businesses)
Hiring a solid in-house bookkeeping team member can run $100,000+ per year in salary and benefits. Many service businesses don’t need or can afford that level of payroll. What they need is fractional talent—a trusted team for a fraction of the cost.
Think of it like a fractional vacation home. You enjoy the place without buying the whole property. You get 100% of the value you actually use.
What drives the bookkeeping price? (Plain-English checklist)
Prices rise or fall with workload and risk. Here are the big levers:
- Monthly Transaction Volume – More swipes and deposits = more work to categorize, reconcile, and review.
- Number of Accounts – Bank accounts, credit cards, merchant processors, loans, and wallets—each one adds steps.
- Payroll Complexity – Thankfully, payroll software companies have made processing payroll much more efficient, and the price depends on the level of service and the payroll company you have.
- Accounts Receivable (A/R) – Invoicing, reminders, cash application, deposit matching, and reporting.
- Bill Pay / Accounts Payable (A/P) – Vendor setup, approval workflows, payment runs, and document management.
- Industry-Specific Tools – CRM, project systems, or field apps that must talk to QuickBooks.
- Catch-Up or Clean-Up Work – Old messes cost extra to fix right—and we always fix them right.
Pro tip: If someone gives you a rock-bottom price without asking about these items, they’re guessing—or they plan to cut corners. Either one is risky.
Note: We start at $599/month for the most basic needs. Your exact price depends on the checklist above. The fastest way to see your range is to try our Price Estimator (takes 2 minutes, no spam).
What’s included (and what we don’t do)
Included in every plan:
- Accurate monthly books
- Bank and card reconciliations
- Clear financial statements
- Year-end tax support via complete and accurate reports for your CPA
- Secure document tools
- Friendly support (real humans, in the USA, on time)
Not included:
- Tax return preparation and IRS representation
- HR/benefits admin
- Legal or investment advice
Honest Transparency: If we’re not the right fit, we’ll say so and point you to someone who is. Short-term “yes” that hurts you later is not our style.
DIY vs. “cheap” vs. professional—what actually changes?
DIY (You do it all)
- Pros: Lowest cash cost, you learn a lot.
- Cons: Highest time cost, higher error risk, late books, and stressful tax season.
- Hidden cost: Lost focus on sales, service, and delivery, business stability suffers because it’s common that financial problems are wrongly solved by taking on more debt.
“Cheap” bookkeeper
- Pros: Feels affordable.
- Cons: Sloppy categorizations, late reconciling, poor support, surprise clean-up costs later (more common than you would expect).
- Hidden cost: Rework. Missed deductions. Bad decisions from bad data.
Professional team (what we offer)
- Pros: Clean, timely, audit-ready books. Useful reports. Better decisions. Calm at tax time.
- Cons: Higher monthly investment than DIY/cheap—but usually far lower than the cost of mistakes or a full-time hire.
I’ve met too many owners who paid twice: once for the cheap option, and again for the fix. Don’t build your business on a shaky foundation.
The foundation metaphor (why this is so important)
Imagine building a house. If the foundation is off, everything else is off—doors stick, floors tilt, and repairs get expensive.
Your books are that foundation.
When they’re strong:
- You see cash coming and going.
- You price work with confidence.
- You hire and invest at the right time.
- You sleep better.
When they’re weak:
- You pay more for last-minute fixes.
- You stress over payroll.
- You’re slow-growing because you’re guessing.
I learned this the hard way. I once believed “I’ll fix the books later.” Later never came. It took real money and many weekends to unwind the mess. That pain is why we built a system that keeps you out of it.
Quick comparison: us vs. common alternatives
Note: Bench.com, Pilot.com, and QuickBooks Online (QBO) are well-known. They fit some businesses really well. Here’s a plain-language view so you can pick what fits you.
- QuickBooks Online alone (DIY tool): Great software, but it’s just that—a tool. You still need the time and skill to use it right.
- Bench / Pilot (productized bookkeeping): Streamlined, tech-forward, and good for simpler companies. Less tailored workflows. If you have custom A/R, A/P, job costing, or multi-system setups, you may outgrow them. Does not sync with other platforms, your sunk if you want to switch.
- Our model (fractional, hands-on): We bring the tech and the human team to match your process. We customize A/R, A/P, payroll, and reporting for your service business. It costs more than bare-bones options, but less than full-time staff—and the fit is tighter.
If another provider is clearly a better match, we’ll tell you. No hard feelings. You deserve the right solution, period.
What results should you expect?
Short term (30–60 days):
- Books cleaned and current (after catch-up clean-up project)
- Clear chart of accounts
- Baseline KPIs: revenue, gross margin, labor %, overhead %, cash runway
Midterm (90–120 days):
- Consistent monthly close
- Useful dashboards
- Reliable cash-flow rhythm
- Fewer surprises
Long term (6–12 months):
- Confident pricing and hiring decisions
- Smoother tax seasons
- More time for sales and service
- Peace of mind
FAQs (real questions we get all the time)
“Can you just do my taxes?”
We don’t file taxes in-house. We prepare a clean year-end package for your CPA or tax pro. If you need a referral, we’ll share options.
“Do you work in QuickBooks Online?”
Yes. QBO is our core platform. We integrate your banks, payroll, and apps so data flows cleanly.
“What if my books are a mess?”
No judgment. We’ve seen it all. We’ll quote a fixed clean-up project so you know the cost before we start.
“What if I only need help a few months a year?”
We can do clean-ups, but monthly care keeps things healthy and far cheaper over time.
“How fast can we start?”
Most companies are onboarded in 1–2 weeks after the scope agreement. (Clean-ups vary by size.)
“Is my data secure?”
Yes. We use bank-level encryption, role-based access, and documented controls.
“What if I outgrow you?”
We’ll help you build in-house if/when the time is right. We’re partners in your growth, not gatekeepers.
A simple way to estimate your price
Use our Price Estimator. It asks about transaction volume, number of accounts, payroll, A/R, A/P, and sales tax. In about two minutes, you’ll see a realistic range with no obligation and no spam.
What you risk with the wrong choice (stakes + consequences)
- Lost margin from mis-categorized expenses and missed job costs
- IRS stress from incomplete books and late reconciliations
- Cash crunch because you can’t see the timing of inflows/outflows
- Team burnout when the owner or office manager “does the books” at night
- Rework costs when you hire a pro to fix months of errors
You might feel nervous to invest now. I get it. Do it anyway. The cost of waiting is almost always higher.
The TL;DR recap (3 lines)
- Starter bookkeeping begins at $599/month; most service businesses land between $650–$3,500/month, based on complexity.
- Price depends on transactions, accounts, payroll, A/R, A/P, and cleanup needs.
- Clean, timely books give you confidence, speed, and growth. Cheap or DIY often costs more later.
Ready for calm, accurate numbers?
If you want to see if we’re a fit, book a free discovery call with Amber. We’ll look at your setup, give you a clear scope and price, and point you in the right direction—even if that’s not us.
Or try the Price Estimator first and get your range in minutes.
Your next best decision starts with clear numbers.
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